The present invention relates to control arrangements for at least two hydraulic consumers for each of which a pressure compensated multiple position valve is provided and in which each multiple position valve has at least two control members for controlling the direction of movement of the consumer coordinated therewith, for providing a pressure compensation, and for throttling the flow of pressure fluid to the respective consumer. The arrangement includes further a reversing or unloading valve connected in parallel to the two multiple position valves for controlling flow of pressure fluid from a source of such pressure fluid either directly to a return conduit or over the multiple position valves to the respective consumer. The reversing valve, in turn, is controlled by the control members of the two multi-position valves which produce the pressure compensation.
Such a control arrangement is already known in the art as for instance disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 3,722,543, in which a first control member of each multiple position valve has the function of controlling the direction of movement of the consumer coordinated therewith and throttling flow of pressure medium thereto and a second control member, connected in series with the first control member, and producing the pressure compensation. In this construction the second control members are all connected in series to a pressure fluid inlet channel and control thus further flow of fluid to the following first control member. This known control arrangement is relatively complicated. In addition, this known control arrangement leads to energy losses and increases also the danger of mutually influencing the two consumers during parallel operation. In this known control arrangement, it is further necessary that a maximum operating pressure is transmitted, over throttles and one-way valves in a branched control conduit, to the unloading valve, which further complicates the control arrangement.